ACF AUCTION BLOCK: THE HELLFIRE ‘VETTE F/C!

How righteously bitchin’ is THIS?!? A truly unmolested, survivor from the first days of the Funny Car revolution in the last days of the Sixties? The Hell Fire Corvette, campaigned by Jim Shue and Johnny Wright between 1969 and 1970, was not only one of the coolest-looking cars of that era, but it’s gotta be one of the few that seemed to somehow survived all these years intact.

See, most of these racecars were exactly that: racecars that constantly blew motors, grenaded clutches and rearends, caught fire, wrecked and any assortment of other near misses and catastrophes. You gotta remember: these early Funny Cars were really not much more than Fuel Altereds with fiberglass bodies on them, so they were wild and wooly, to say the least. And the fact that this one is now up for sale, complete with a Reath Automotive drivetrain (and a 426 Hemi, to be exact), is really sumpn’ sumpn.’

Mecum Auctions are the lucky bastards who get to auction this real survivor off tomorrow (here). Go get your carcass to Kansas City, register for a paddle and bid the hell out of this thing. When are you gonna get another chance at such a perfect, unmolested time capsule from 40 years ago? Yeah, that’s what we thought.

And then let us know how much you paid for it and when we can come lick it clean. Dammit.

Jim Shue, I used to live across the street from you on Coldbrook in Lakewood, CA (’64 – ’72). I used to babysit for you and Judy. You taught me how to make “Jim Shue” tacos, and I taught you how to surf.

All 4 of my sons and wife have learned all about “Jim Shue” tacos and have heard all about the Hellfire Corvette. I had metals shop at Lakewood HS, and got access to the shop after hours to fabricate and install the alum. pan inside the glass body for you. Got me an A grade! You took me around to the other “race guys” of the era locally.

You got my dad to let JJ Lieberman’s (?), Don Prudhome’s (?) dragsters hide in our back driveway and yard to keep safe from his wife and lawyer.